Past Mistake
by Elenothar
Summary: Even after destroying Sidious, there's always enough to be done for Obi-Wan and Anakin.


A/N: Written as part of the annual fic-gift exchange for madman007.

I hope you all had a great Christmas! :)

Past Mistakes

_10 years earlier:_

_For the most citizens of the peaceful world of Alderaan it was just a normal day, not particularly different from any others. Not so for the Royal Family of Alderaan, including the young Zion of the House, Bail Organa, who'd been taking a week off from his senatorial duties to visit his home world. _

_Neither, it seemed, for Mace Windu._

_The ceiling of the palace hallway rocked, as another set of bombs, hidden nearly everywhere inside, went off only a few meters to his right. Cursing inwardly, Mace picked himself off the ground, careful of the tiles raining down around him. _

_Using the Force to create a sort of safety-bubble around him to protect him from flying pieces of floor and ceiling, pushing aside a slight pang of regret at the destruction of this beautiful house, Mace headed down the corridor after the fleeing presence of the assassin, who'd tried to kill the Organas, who'd stayed behind in the safe room, with his partner guarding them._

_A few seconds later he reached a huge ballroom with a artistically curved, marble ceiling – which, thankfully, seemed to be still holding._

_Pandemonium ruled._

_Everywhere people were scrambling to the exits, and somewhere, hidden in the crowd, was the one who'd caused it all._

How_ he'd managed to smuggle the bombs inside was still a mystery to him, but that wasn't his task to find out anyway. Security would take care of it._

_Instead a grim determination to apprehend the assassin filled him, and so he stepped into the room, searching for his presence in the Force, and finding it near the exit to the left._

_He'd only taken two steps into that direction, when he nearly tripped over a blond serving-girl, crouching on the floor and looking at him with wide and frightened blue eyes._

_Mace sighed inwardly. The urge to chase after the assassin was big, but he just couldn't leave her there._

"_Come on, girl, you have to get out of here," he urged gently, not to upset her any more than she already was and helped her to her feet. _

_Once her shaky legs seemed able to support her, she said, voice quivering, "Thank you, Master Jedi."_

"_No problem. You'll be alright?" Mace asked distractedly, his mind already back on his mission. If he waited much longer his target would escape._

"_Yes, yes, I think so," she replied. "You go on, Master Jedi."_

_And that Mace did. _

_He never noticed the satisfied smile on her lips, her frightened expression gone, as she watched him go._

* * *

The morning sun shone over Coruscant, bathing the spires of the Jedi Temple in a red-golden glow. The very picture of peace and tranquility.

The hallways, too, were quiet, only a few Jedi going about their business. Two, however, were talking quite animatedly as they strolled through the room of a Thousand Fountains.

"I missed you, Master, you know," Anakin remarked, gazing at the silver droplets of water spraying from the next fountain in a dance of light.

Five years after the destruction of the last Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who'd hidden in plain view for more than a decade, things had slowly gone back to normal.

Some things, after all, never changed.

Obi-Wan snorted. "You probably only missed someone you could make sick with your flying. Besides I already told you a hundred times to call me Obi-Wan."

"Sorry, Master," Anakin replied grinning, looking positively unrepentant. "But you're probably right. The last time we flew together was fun. I don't think you've ever been that green in the face before – not even on Vjun."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "That coming from the boy," Anakin threw him a dirty look, "sorry, _man_, who drools in his sleep."

"I do _not_ drool!" Anakin protested indignantly.

"Yes, you do. I should know, " Obi-Wan retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest in his best masterly posture. Not that it had ever affected Anakin.

"Okay, maybe one or twice," Anakin grumbled, ignoring Obi-Wan's failed attempt to hide his smile behind his hand.

"Just watch what you teach your children, Anakin. They don't need to inherit all your...'good' traits."

Anakin tried hard to look affronted – and failed miserably. Chuckling he reflected somewhat ruefully that their banter had become a second nature to them, and it always served to loosen him up.

Sitting down on a bench in a quiet corner, he turned to Obi-Wan, who'd sat down beside him, taking some time to study the older man.

He was still a young man, in comparison, but the expanding streaks of gray running through his red-golden hair and the new lines on his face were telltale signs of the stress he constantly endured as one of the most prominent and called-upon Jedi Masters of the Order.

Sometimes Anakin suspected as well that his friend had never completely healed from the wounds he had taken while battling Sidious – wounds that had compelled him to kill a man he'd thought a friend.

But one thing never changed; Obi-Wan's eyes. Their color-changing depths were still as gentle and radiant as ever, though a bit more wisdom might be sparkling in them.

And however old he may be, Obi-Wan still his friend, staunch supporter and an incredibly _good_, devoted and compassionate man.

Anakin was shaken from his reverie by Obi-Wan's voice.

"Is there a fly on my nose? You were staring at me for two minutes now," Obi-Wan informed him, an amused smile quirking his lips.

"Just thinking, Master."

Obi-Wan eyebrows rose to his hairlines, faster than he could've said 'Yoda'.

Anakin glared at him, albeit the effect was slightly diminished by the playful glint in his eyes. "Yes, I do that, too, sometimes. I was just remembering."

Obi-Wan immediately became serious.

"You're not still worrying about the whole Palpatine thing, are you?"

"No, no," Anakin assured him. "I've made my peace with that and I did the right thing."

Obi-Wan smiled at him softly. "I'm glad you realize that, Anakin. And I was and am very proud of you."

"Thank you, Master," Anakin said, gratefully returning the warmth and affection he felt though the bond they still shared.

Somehow, through all the hardships they'd endured, they'd managed to form a lasting friendship, deeper than they'd ever thought possible.

And Anakin was grateful for it every day.

Yes, he had Padme and the twins, and couldn't live without them, but Obi-Wan was his oldest friend, who'd stood by him through everything, always helping and aiding him, though he hadn't always realized that, sometimes even resented it. He could tell him things he couldn't even tell Padme, and he wouldn't give away their friendship for anything.

"Speaking about children..."

"Were we?"

"We were. Anyway Luke and Leia want to see their favorite Uncle again. At the moment they're threatening to tear down the Temple if you don't come and visit them soon."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "They do have your...energetic approach to things. I'll gladly go to visit your family once I find some time."

"They're working you too hard, Master," Anakin sighed, his old concerns for Obi-Wan surfacing again – really, the man was unable to take care of himself, always thinking about everyone else first.

"I'm needed, Anakin. There are too few Jedi as it is. And I'm not working _that_ much."

"Sure you aren't," Anakin replied, snorting in disbelief.

But Obi-Wan had that stubborn look on his face again, which told Anakin quite clearly that he wouldn't budge in this. Besides he never won arguments against Obi-Wan. Padme was the only one he knew, who even had a chance of beating 'The Negotiator' with words.

Thinking of Padme...

Obi-Wan seemed to sense his sudden shift in mood.

He studied him slightly concerned and asked, "Anakin, does something bother you?"

A few years ago he would have railed at the question, turning the implied offer of help ways, but now he just said, "Actually it is. I've had some arguments with Padme lately. She thinks I should spend more time with her and the twins and maybe give up going on missions completely."

"What is your opinion in this matter?" Obi-Wan asked neutrally, but he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, silently offering his support.

Anakin hesitated for a moment, the replied, "I think that I'm actually doing a pretty good job at being with my family and being a Jedi. I wouldn't want to change that."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I agree with that. I can only advise you to talk thing through with your wife. In my experience talking helps with such matters. The worst thing you could do now is hush it up."

"Yes, I think I will do that. Thank you, Obi-Wan," Anakin stated sincerely.

Before Obi-wan could reply, the older man's comlink went off.

"Kenobi here."

"_Obi-Wan I need you and Anakin to come to briefing room A immediately." _Mace Windu announced.

"We'll be there," Obi-Wan assured him and popped the comlink back into his belt pouch, trading a confused look with Anakin.

* * *

Mace was already waiting for them when they entered the briefing room five minutes later.

"Anakin, Obi-Wan, I need you to go to the Senate and oversee the meeting there. Chancellor Organa requested Jedi protection," the dark-skinned Koruun Master informed them briskly.

"Why that?" Anakin asked confused.

"He did not say. But the Council is inclined to trust him in this," Mace replied.

"Of course, Master. I didn't mean to question the Chancellor's integrity," Anakin assured him, bowing slightly

"Then go."

* * *

Senate meetings were _boring_. He had needed ten minutes to find that out – and they already attended one for five hours.

Standing on the top galley with Obi-Wan, Anakin glumly surveyed the grand convocation chamber. The Senators had been arguing about some trade disputes for so long already his brain felt mush and something had yet to happen.

Even Obi-Wan, whose patience was nearly infinite seemed slightly bored.

Suddenly in the moment they felt it: danger.

After so many years of working together, and successfully, they didn't even need to communicate, they just _knew_ what each was supposed to do.

Springing into action instantly, Anakin ran along the galley, whilst Obi-Wan jumped clear of the railing, needing only two touch-downs on pods of _very_ surprised and alarmed Senators and their aides to reach the Chancellor's podium just in time to deflect the blaster bolts aimed for Bail suddenly erupting from the part of the galley Anakin was heading to.

As soon as the sniper caught sight of the Jedi heading towards her, she turned to run, vanishing into one of the many entrances.

Anakin, using the Force to quicken his pace, chased after her through the door along a corridor with

a plush red carpet, effectively muffling the sounds of their footsteps, and just saw a swirl of blond hair flying around a corner.

Face set in determination he added another burst of Force energy to his already great speed and jumped around the corner, so fast that the assassin, who'd lain in waiting there couldn't react in time and shoot him before he landed on top of her, his lightsaber at her throat.

She glared at him hatefully but silent as Anakin relieved her of an astonishing assortment of weapons. He'd just finished that when Obi-Wan burst around the corner followed by at least a dozen

of Senate guards.

"Ah," Obi-Wan said. "You seem to be having things well in hand."

* * *

Half an hour later Anakin, Obi-Wan, Bail and Mace, who'd been called from the Temple, sat in the Chancellor's office, trying to clear some things up.

"The serving girl was the assassin?!" Mace exclaimed, actually _shocked_. "And I just let her go the last time?"

"It seems so," Bail said carefully. He'd never seen the normally so composed Council member so upset.

"I should have noticed it then, could have prevented this from happening! But no I was so focused on getting her accomplice that I forgot to check everything!"

"Mace, calm down," Obi-Wan soothed gently. "Nobody was hurt and she's going to jail now anyway. Stop beating yourself up over it. No harm done," he assured Mace, but couldn't help but add dryly, "Except for the fact that we had to suffer through five hours of Senate meeting."

He turned to Bail. "_I_ would like to know why she wanted to kill you and how _you _knew she would attack today."

Bail shifted in his seat a bit uncomfortably. "Well, you see, Obi-Wan, she was a family member once, but when she tried to kill my father to get more power, he disowned her. She's sworn to destroy the Organa House. And I knew she would act today because she sent me a message saying her desire for revenge would be fulfilled on that day. She is quite insane, you see."

"I noticed," Obi-Wan commented dryly. "Anyway, thanks to Anakin the day was saved."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Stop downplaying your role, Master. Without _you _she would have succeeded."

Obi-Wan looked surprised. "I'm not downplaying anything..."

And they were off again.

Bail and Mace exchanged an amused smile. The two's bickering was legendary.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?!"

End


End file.
